Joey Lippo fires up a serve against hazy skies as he and William Nelson roll to a season-opening win. (Joe Lippo photos)
The stands were crammed as Wolf soccer players and cheerleaders dropped by the match before their practices started.
The fans who stayed to the end got a show.
Playing under hazy skies, the Coupeville High School boys tennis squad opened a new season Tuesday with a narrow 4-3 non-conference loss to big 2A school Port Angeles.
But while the Wolves represent a tiny 1A school with barely a quarter of the student population the Roughriders draw from (PA wins that battle 876-227), the CHS netters are a scrappy bunch.
Case in point, the day’s final match.
With play on all other courts finished, the score cards pulled and Port Angeles one step away from jumping on the bus and hauling tail for the ferry, Zach Ginnings and Drake Borden still had one final message to deliver to the big city folks.
The Wolf duo, a sophomore and freshman, respectively, battled blow for blow with their rivals, storming back to win in the #4 doubles slot with canny shot-making.
In a match full of long rallies and points pulled out with last-second miracle shots, Ginnings and Borden displayed a sweet touch on their volleys which earned an appreciative nod and smile from veteran Wolf coach Ken Stange.
His young guns ability to create was one of the true bright spots on a day when the sun was camped behind a thick layer of Canadian fire-driven smog.
Equally on point were seniors William Nelson and Joey Lippo, who romped to a quick win at #1 doubles, and sophomore Mason Grove, who cruised to a forceful victory in straight sets at #3 singles.
Nelson and Lippo, who came within a step of advancing to state a season ago, picked right back up, mashing big overheads and fooling the Roughriders with a variety of slick serves.
At one point Lippo cranked several winners in a row, sending the ball slamming off the court with enough kick to then cause it to shoot up and over the fence and land in a nearby housing development.
While the crowd argued over whether a tennis player could accurately be described as “hammering the ball” (I vote yes and the hapless tennis ball surely agrees with me), the serene Wolf duo remained low-key from opening warmup to final ace.
If they make it to state, Nelson and Lippo, a tandem not exactly prone to huge on-court celebrations, might go as far as tapping racquets.
Might.
On this day, the slightest of nods as they walked off the court, step one completed successfully on their final tennis journey.
Complete Tuesday results:
Varsity:
1st Singles — Nick Etzell lost to Kenny Soule 6-1, 6-2
2nd Singles — Jakobi Baumann lost to Hayden Woods 6-3, 6-1
3rd Singles — Mason Grove beat Henry Shaw 6-4, 6-0
1st Doubles — William Nelson/Joey Lippo beat Lucas Jarnigan/Milo Whitman 6-1, 6-2
2nd Doubles — Pedro Gamarra/Nile Lockwood lost to Hunter Dougherty/Jaden Seibiel 6-4, 6-3
3rd Doubles — Jaschon Baumann/Tiger Johnson lost to Brady Nickerson/Kyler Tourbin 6-1, 6-1
4th Doubles — Zach Ginnings/Drake Borden beat Wyatt Hall/Tanner Price 7-5
JV:
5th Doubles — Harris Sinclair/Thane Peterson lost to Dan Clark/Caleb Flodstrum 8-1
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